Adapting UN structures to a rapidly evolving world.

• Position: Includes related article on the United Nations Joint Inspection Unit that oversees accountability and efficiency - The Road to Reform - Cover Story

With UN worldwide responsibilities now expanding to virtually every conceivable area of human activity - "from every angle of vision, chronological, practical, functional, conceptual, individual and institutional, we come to one conclusion", asserted Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali in his annual report to the General Assembly.

"Humanity's project is now truly universal, and to cope with it we must fashion comprehensive and integral projects, policies and efforts," he declared.

The main objective of UN restructuring is therefore, "to consolidate and streamline the activities of the Organization into well-defined functional categories" to ensure effective implementation of mandates entrusted to the Secretariat by the policy-making organs, he stated in a 29 September report on the restructuring and efficiency of the Secretariat.

During the wide-ranging reform's first phase initiated in February 1992, a number of offices were regrouped and related activities consolidated. "As a result, unnecessary bureaucratic layers have been reduced and certain peripheral activities eliminated," he reported.

Among the structural changes:

* A Department of Political Affairs was created to encompass the former Department of Political and Security Council Affairs, Centre Against Apartheid, the Office for Political and General Assembly Affairs, the Department for Special Political Questions, Regional Cooperation, Decolonization and Trusteeship, and the Department for Disarmament Affairs.

* A new Department of Peacekeeping Operations was established, incorporating the former Office for Special Political Affairs.

* A Department of Economic and Social Development was formed, to replace the Department of international Economic and Social Affairs, the Department of Technical Cooperation and Development, the UN Centre on Transnational Corporations, and the Centre for Science and Technology for Development.

* A new Department of Humanitarian Affairs was established, absorbing the functions performed by the Office of the UN Disaster Relief Coordinator, the Unit for Special Emergency Programmes, and various offices and units dealing with emergencies and humanitarian assistance programmes.

* The Department of Conference Services became an Office and was made part of the Department of Administration and Management.

In a second wave of organizational restructuring related to economic and social affairs, the Secretary-General decided to establish three new Secretariat departments, focusing respectively on policy coordination and sustainable development; economic and social information and policy analysis: and development support and management services.

Persistent attempts

As with previous restructuring exercises, the new measures have sought to develop clearer lines of authority, responsibility, accountability and communication; improve coordination; and avoid duplication of work.

However, one UN body - the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions - noted in March that "there is a need for a clear statement of an overall restructuring plan and a time-frame for its implementation". The Committee thought the Secretary-General should demonstrate "how the restructuring, would achieve the management aim of a more responsive, cost-effective, streamlined Secretariat".

Indeed, restructuring and reform are not challenges which are unique to the current UN administration.

"The haphazard growth arid complexity of the United Nations Secretariat has led to persistent attempts at reform over the years, including major attempts in, 1953, 1961, 1966, 1969, 1975, 1982, 1986 and 1992", the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) - the General Assembly's watchdog - reported (A/48/420) this year (see story pg. 44).

While the Unit expressed "full respect" for continued reforms, it also was concerned that "rapid and continuing restructurings risk accentuating confusion and blurring responsibilities".

The JIU warned: "Worst of all, they might become an end in themselves, actually serving to avoid accountability through the turmoil of endless organizational reshuffling."

~Group of 18':

Major precursor

A major precursor to the present process of reform was the creation of the 18-member Group of High-level inter-governmental Experts to Review the Administrative and Financial...